Wood recollects previous school experiences, adjusts to change
This column is part one of a two-part series. The second installment will be published on a further date.
I attended Fresno Christian from preschool to third grade; I had to leave because the school tuition started to increase and my family was having a hard time putting both my brother and I both through school at FC. I was extremely sad and refused to leave, but I had no choice. I was headed for public school.
I remember being so upset about moving school. I expressed my emotions by drawing sad pictures of my parents leading me away from my friends at school. I was hoping the pictures would change my parent’s mind. I was young and didn’t understand that it wasn’t that they wanted to take me out, but that they had no other choice.
I left FC and went to Garfield my fourth grade through sixth grade year. Public school was much different than private school. The way the kids talked and acted was something I had not been exposed to. They dressed the same, but the way they spoke and acted was arrogant and rude. A lot of the kids had no manners and weren’t kind.
I was very shy and didn’t want to talk to anyone. All I wanted to do was go back to my friends. Over time I eventually made friends, but sadly they were the wrong kind of friends. They would say crude and inappropriate things, they were the type of girls that wanted to be teens and do ‘teen things’. They had this perception that being a teen meant cursing and wearing revealing things and behaving inappropriately. This was only elementary school, I still had not experienced public junior high school.
I was shocked to see how expensive these jeans were, just for the brand name. I couldn’t understand how all these girls’ parents would just go out and spend about $200 on a few pair of jeans. I got Vanessa the jeans and she was so happy and it made me happy seeing her that way. It had been awhile since she was genuinely happy, the transfer really affected her. — Deborah Wood, Vanessa’s mother
Alta Sierra Junior High School was where I was headed next. This was a much easier transition because I had all my friends from elementary school. The work was hard, much harder than at FC. In order to be “cool” you had to wear LA Idols or Miss Me jeans. Of course I gave into the pressure and begged my mom for the new jeans all the “cool” girls were wearing.
My mother, Deborah Wood, discussed her first experience with expensive brand name clothing, and the shock of how peer pressure could affect families.
“Vanessa wanted the jeans so badly and she told me that the jeans would make her happy so we went to Ooh LaLa and bought the jeans,” Wood said. “I was shocked to see how expensive these jeans were, just for the brand name. I couldn’t understand how all these girls’ parents would just go out and spend about $200 on a few pair of jeans. I got Vanessa the jeans and she was so happy and it made me happy seeing her that way. It had been awhile since she was genuinely happy, the transfer really affected her.”
Besides the usual teen stuff: drama, cliques and boys, junior high was fun. It was an overall enjoyable experience, from what I can remember.
My parents said I could go to CN with my FC friends; I was nervous but happy. On the first day of high school I was so nervous I almost vomited. I had never seen so many kids in my life. The campus was huge because it was designed after a college campus. The buildings were named by letters. I was so lost and confused the first week, but I absolutely loved the school. I made new friends and got to be with my old ones like old times; I was so happy.
Freshman year went by in a blink of an eye, and before I knew it, my sophomore year was about to begin.
Check back soon for the second installment of Wood’s story.
This writer can be reached via Twitter: @_VanessaWood and via email: Vanessa Wood.
